Inghirami G, Chilosi M, Knowles D M
Department of Pathology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032.
Am J Pathol. 1990 Jun;136(6):1429-36.
The authors investigated 16 western thymomas, 9 from the United States and 7 from Europe, for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA sequences by both Southern blot hybridization analysis and polymerase chain reaction using EBV-specific DNA probes that detect the long internal repeat and terminal repeat regions and the EBNA-1 gene. None of the 16 thymomas contained evidence of the EBV genome, even though we could detect EBV by Southern blotting when EBV DNA represents less than or equal to 1% of the total DNA and by polymerase chain reaction when a single EBV-positive cell is present among 10(5) EBV-negative cells. These results fail to demonstrate EBV genome in western thymomas and stand in contrast to those of McGuire et al (Am J Pathol 1988, 131:385) who previously reported that the EBV genome is present in thymomas occurring in southern Chinese patients. Therefore EBV does not appear to be implicated in the pathogenesis of all thymomas. The presence of EBV in eastern thymomas, regions where EBV is endemic may be due to epidemiologic factors and/or genetic predispositions.
作者通过Southern印迹杂交分析和聚合酶链反应，使用能检测长内部重复序列、末端重复序列区域以及EBNA - 1基因的EBV特异性DNA探针，对16例西方胸腺瘤进行了研究，其中9例来自美国，7例来自欧洲，以检测是否存在EB病毒（EBV）DNA序列。16例胸腺瘤中均未发现EBV基因组的证据，尽管当EBV DNA占总DNA的比例小于或等于1%时，我们可以通过Southern印迹法检测到EBV，并且当在10⁵个EBV阴性细胞中有一个EBV阳性细胞时，通过聚合酶链反应也能检测到EBV。这些结果未能在西方胸腺瘤中证实EBV基因组的存在，这与McGuire等人（《美国病理学杂志》1988年，131:385）的结果形成对比，他们此前报道EBV基因组存在于中国南方患者发生的胸腺瘤中。因此，EBV似乎并不参与所有胸腺瘤的发病机制。在EBV为地方病的东方胸腺瘤中EBV的存在可能是由于流行病学因素和/或遗传易感性。
